Human development demands that all social groups have equal access to the services provided by the state and equal opportunity for upward economic and social mobility. It is also necessary to ensure that there is no discrimination against any section of the society. The Constitution of India contains various provisions for the development of marginalized groups. Their individual and collective growth, however, cannot be ensured without improving their surroundings and providing basic necessitates of life.

The major challenges of human development in India are (a) measurement and aggregation of human development, (b) manifestation of poverty in all dimensions of human life, (c) drop out and stagnation in primary education, (d) more demand for higher education than the available facilities, (e) decontextualization of present system of education (f) persistent regional disparities and social inequalities (g) unregulated human activities and unsustainable use of environmental resources and (h) gross under valuation of women’s economic contribution.

The book, consisting of 24 scholarly articles, provides valuable material on various dimensions of human development in India. It also makes practicable recommendations in this context.